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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Friday night Savannah told me she didn't feel great and was going to bed. It was before 10:00 on a Friday! That never happens. When she woke up on Saturday, she had a high fever. She spent most of the weekend sleeping and taking medicine for her aches, sore throat and cough. Yesterday Brooklyn developed a fever. Yesterday afternoon I got a call from the school nurse saying I needed to pick up Lexi because she was running a high fever. I thought Clay was getting it last night, but he escaped. I almost took Lex to the ER last night because she had a fever over 104 and was so croupy and wheezy, I was concerned. When she threw up her medicine and her eyes started rolling back in her head as she complained of dizziness, I kinda freaked out a bit. I got dressed and prepared to take her to the hospital, but was finally able to bring down her fever and get her breathing under control with the vaporizer.Brooklyn hasn't stopped crying since she woke up this morning. The poor kid keeps whining that her eyes hurt. :( I was going to take the girls to the doctor this afternoon, but before I could leave, I got another call from the school nurse. "Come pick up Jackson. He has a fever of 103." When I got to the school to pick him up, the nurse said, "Oh, by the way, Clay failed his hearing test twice. You need to get these papers signed by a doctor." Oh joy.I dropped Jax off at home and ran the girls to the doctor. The doctor swabbed them and lo and behold, they have swine flu. The best part is that the doctor guaranteed that I would get it. Yay! I called Joe on the way home and told him to go to his parents' house for a week or more so he doesn't get the flu on top of recovering from surgery. It's not like he was any help anyway since he'd downed 3 bottles of Tylenol with codeine and had spent the last 3 days completely drugged out of his mind.So she prescribed Tamiflu for Brooklyn and Relenza for Lexi and Jackson. It was too late for Savannah to get any medicine because she was too many days into the flu. So I went on a 3 hour expedition in search of this medicine for the kids. I went to Walgreens and they didn't have anything there. I drove to Osco and no dice. I asked the pharmacist if he knew of any other pharmacies that might have it in stock and he said, "You'll just have to make some phone calls." Gee thanks, buddy.I drove home to check on the kids, made a phone call to Target who told me they had the meds and drove over there. I guess I wasn't specific enough on the phone and although they had the Tamiflu for adults, they didn't have the suspension for Brooklyn. So I was able to get one pack of Relenza there. The pharmacist there was awesome, however because she must've called 5 different pharmacies for me. She found a second pack of Relenza at another Target and she found a pharmacy a few towns over that said they'd compound the medicine for Brooklyn. I drove over there and was told they didn't take insurance and it would cost $200. Ugh. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't go home with medicine for everyone but Brooklyn and look into her sick eyes and not feel horrible and guilty. So I gave the go-ahead for them to mix it up and was told they could only make 3 doses tonight and I'd have to come back tomorrow for the other 7 doses. "We'll call you in a couple hours when it's ready, Mrs. Meehan."So I drove a couple towns over to the other Target and picked up the second pack of Relenza. While I was there, I got a call that Brooklyn's medicine was ready and I needed to pick it up NOW because the pharmacy was closing. Ugh, I quickly drove back to that pharmacy and picked up the 3 doses for Brooklyn (which only cost about $80), ran through McDonald's for the kids and sped home.I threw the food on the table as the phone rang. It was the conference call I was supposed to have joined 10 minutes earlier. Ugh. I left my sick kids again and disappeared into my room to take the call. When I re-emerged from my room and hung up the phone, Clay told me he didn't feel well. He's running a fever now too. Austin is the only kid left standing.I feel like a horrible mom, but that feeling is slowly being replaced with a headache and sore throat...

82 comments:

OMG DAWN!!! I feel so horrible for you all! But if you look at it on the bright side--just think of it as another "literal" chapter in a book you will write that will make a bunch of people laugh. Does that make you feel better? I didn't think so -- I'm sorry!!! xoxo

My kids had it last week and once you get them on the meds it's not bad at all. It's really going around the schools here but hardly any adults have gotten it, I didn't get it from my kids so maybe you won't either! :)

Oh my motherhood! I hope your fairy godmother shows up tonight because forget the ball, you need her now! My girlfriend had the same problem getting the meds for her little niece (in California). Go away FLU!

Good Lord! Poor Dawn and Poor kiddos also! THAT has to be the most challenging event. I surely hope that you escape with nary a sniffle or two..it is the kids who seem to be getting this from their schoolmates. I know this will be a difficult few days,but please TRY to keep us semi-informed. Maybe set the TV to the Cartoon Channel, and sit yourself down with plenty of nice hot tea, getting up ONLY every 30 seconds to wash your hands (and the kids' hands) with that special cheap GEL the pharmacies are pushing lately.Ya know, I am really at a loss for words(something very unusual for me!) I have no doubts that you will get through this seasonal crisis with flying colours and a few boxes of Tissue(Now, had the paper companies advertised with you, I would mention them HERE by brand!) Somehow, you have to still command the Good Ship Meehan, while trying to minimize your own exposure. The GOOD NEWS is that you are actually too OLD (at age 30) to get much of an infection.

We went through the great search for pediatric tamiflu. We had to go to a pharmacy that did the compound. Luckily, one pharmacy was nice enough to contact one for us, so we only had to drive around for an hour.

The supersonic cool mist humidifier is a must-have accessory for a cold or flu. It really wore my guy out. However, we've had worse.

I hope your infirmary runs smoothly LOL. The silver lining is naps, no getting up for school, and more naps.

You might like my boys' favorite soup. We renamed it:http://bluecottonmemory.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/swine-flu-soup/

I have the option to get free swine flu vaccinations for my children....I think I'll get them done...thanks for the push, I was on the fence...not that I am inplying you encourage vaccinating kids I don't know your POV, I'm just saying I don't wanna be where you are. Bless ya hon!

I know your pain my husband actually got us started in my house from there it went to my 9 yr old then my 4 yr old and finally me it's not very easy to be sick and still run a house full of sick ones but we made it through and i know you guys will too srg-bctx

elderberries...get some feed it to the kids it works.......http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=102431&Redirect=/bulkherb/e.html

Elderberry SyrupFor this recipe you just need a cup of fresh Elderberries. You can use a half a cup of dried berries.

You can get dried elder berries at Mountain Rose Herbs.

You will also need…

• 3 cups of water

• 1 cup of honey

1.) Place the berries in a saucepan and cover them with the 3 cups of water. Then, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a half hour.2.) SMASH up the berries. Then, strain the mixture through a mesh strainer.3.) Add the honey.4.) Bottle and store in the fridge, where it will last a few months.

What a welcome you've received to the flu season! You Meehans don't do anything small, do you?? ;o)

All of you are in my prayers and I hope you can get the rest and medicines that you need.

I had a flashback to the episode of the Brady Bunch when they all came down with the chicken pox. You didn't give each of them some sort of bell, whistle or other annoying object for them to call you when they need you, right???? I know you're waaaay smarter than Mr. & Mrs. Brady, right "Bob"??

I hope everyone heals and gets better asap. I can only imagine a house with six sick kids and a sick mom trying to take care of them. On the bright side (because I'm an eternal on the bright side kind of girl), once everyone is better, you no longer be concerned about swine flu, right?

Sorry you are all sick at once, but on the other hand, it's good to get it all over with as quickly as possible. I recommend vapor plug-ins to help with breathing. My kids had Influenza A this past February, and I was afraid my 3 year old daughter wasn't going to make it. I'll keep you all in my prayers.

Are you kidding? A horrible mom? No way! You drove all over God's creation and spent a fortune on medicine. That's a great mom.

You saved your husband from the illness and the heartache of tending to sick kids. That's a great wife.

You are a powerful, strong woman who won't let a few coughs and temperatures get the better of you. General Mom is in action, and you'll be a superstar until every one of your babies is healthy enough to go back to school!

Hugs and prayers. After reading about your difficulty in getting the meds, I'm thanking God that my asthma doc told me back in June to go get Tamiflu now and keep it on hand because once the flu struck I wouldn't be able to find any.

Oh my. Not that I think you really need the reassurances, but you're probably doing awesome considering you are most likely incubating the flu yourself. Anyone who can take care of 6 sickos at once probably has some amazing super powers (although it's still not immune to swine flu) so just keep it up. Since you all have it, you can all snuggle up together and just throw in movies.

So sorry to hear you're all sick :( My daughter is super sick, too, and I'm just waiting for the boys to come down with it any minute now. Hopefully, I can wait to get sick until my husband comes home this weekend....

The first swine flu vaccinations have today started in the UK. Seriously ill hospital patients are among the first to receive the jab. 11 million vaccinations will be rolled out from Monday the 26th of October. Swine Flu in the UK

It must be something with this past weekend. The swine-flu hit. One of my customers is my kid's pediatrician's office and I was there on Monday. @ 8:30AM they had over 150+ voicemails and the phones were off the hook for most of the day. All of the messages were related to flu-like symptoms. In fact, I got the call yesterday to pick my son up from school. Ah, the joys of parenting.

Here is a relaxing photo that I took this past Sunday, it's called "One Day at a Time..."

Yikes!! What a day! I hope your last comment was to make us laugh because if you get sick it will be hard for you to be sick AND take care of the sick kids!!

I can't believe how fast that went through your family! I had the Swine Flu 3 weeks ago and I'm the only one in my family that got it. The kids did not get it, the MOM got it. God does have a sense of humor doesn't he?

I had a mild case of it. Here's to hoping your kids recover quickly!!

Warning: it's three weeks later and I'm still tired. They may be tired for awhile after the main sickness is gone.

Oh dawnYou are in my thoughts and prayers. The whole house sick at once is NO PICNIC! But maybe you can take comfort that you guys got it now and not later? Now you don't have to spend all winter worrying about getting it. I almost wish my five would just get it and get it over with... I think?

Oh, you poor thing! Of course, I'm thinking it's all a mtter if when, not if. So if you get it over now, maybe you'll be good for the holidays...? With my luck, we'd all be sick at Thainksgiving when we are supposed to go to Disneyland!

Prayers for you and the kiddos. I certainly hope that your sore throat and headache are from exhaustion and not flu. I did hear the hand sanitizer doesn't kill the H1N1 flu virus - it takes hot water and soap.....Donita

We're just about done with the flu. Our baby is the one who has it now. Our 6yo seems to be immune. The rest of us have already had it. It hits hard - watch out for when you get it! I hope all of you are better very soon. And it probably is a good idea to send Joe away for a while. He does NOT want it while still recovering!

I don't have the flu, thank heavens, but I did have to see the doc two days ago to make sure. He told me that if ANYONE gets a high fever, they should go to the doctor immediately. Waiting it out just makes it last longer-the meds really DO work. I hope the kids all sleep through the next week and maybe you can even get some rest if you don't get it too!! Good luck! Chris in PA

OH NO!! So sorry. And what a pain having to run around trying to find their medicine. I hope everyone gets better soon. Crazy that just a few months ago, we were joking about the swine flu! (Well, at least I was.) But now it's so commonplace that if you hear that someone has the flu, it's most likely the swine flu. Sorry, I mean H1N1. So much more pleasant sounding!

Noooo!!! I have a 11 week old and i live in constant fear he will get sick. Hubby and I got the vaccine for regular flu, hopefully the swine flu one will be here soon! Drink/eat lotsa egg drop soup to keep up your strength and get some sleep, your poor family!

It probably won't make you feel any better to know that children act like human petri dishes and anything you get from them is usally much more intense then if you got it from an adult.

Both my girls got something last week (fevers of 105, one vomiting, one not). Luckily I've worked in childcare for 20 years, one son is on an antiviral medication and the younger hates his older sisters so is never around them. Lasted 4-5 days each.

Will be praying that you don't get the throwing up version (no better than to try to pray you won't get it!). Good luck!

Mary in TXhttp://marythemom-mayhem.blogspot.com

Mom to biokids Ponito(10) and his sister Bob(13)Sibling pair adoptive placement from NE 11/06Finally finalized on Kitty(14) on 3/08 - 2 weeks before her 13th birthday!Finalized on her brother Bear(16) 7/08. He turned 15 the next day.

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference."

ok, I know this is off subject but while I was reading this it popped into my head, how on earth did you find the stinkin thermometer to take your kid's temperature's!?!?! I have 3 kids and can never find it!!!

Are you taking vitamin D3? You should all be taking it. 4000 iu for adults, 2000 iu for kids 4 to 10 years, 1000 iu for under 4 years. It's an amazing immune booster and will help you get over illnesses faster. Google Vitamin D3 and you'll be amazed at all the benefits it offers.

Wow - guess it's better to get it all at once rather than drag it out for a month, right? Look at it this way, too, now you won't have to worry about the vax -- (should you or shouldn't you? Will there be enough? etc ...).

Slash that whole "horrible mom" thing from your mind! You're an amazing mother, and you just wrote all that you did for your kids! It was like a juggling act, only with your car. Hoping everyone feels better soon, and that if you get it, it's only the mild version. (Just heard some Doc on the radio today say that 67% of the population will contract H1N1, but only 25% will experience symptoms, so there's hope!)

I don't know what is worse, being sick while the kids are sick and trying to take care of them or being sick AFTER they have recovered. But I think what trumps both is a sick husband while you are trying to do daily life.

Hi Dawn, My son just recovered from it. It lasted 5 days with a high fever (He's 13)no vomiting just fever and headache. No medication was used except ibuprofren. My husband and I didn't catch it. I heard us older folks are more immune to it. We actually have all the school closings running across our tv set. Be strong and you all will all be fine :) Kristine in Michigan

Hang in there, Dawn. My sister and her 4 kids all had H1N1 at once, too, and she was so jealous that her DH didn't get sick. Make sure you take time to take care of yourself in all of this - my sister's symptoms lasted much longer than her kids' because she was so busy taking care of them.

You don't have to post this. I just wanted to you to know that I am praying for you and Joe and your kids. I am sorry you are going through this. I know you wouldn't read this if I posted on the above post. But I want you to know this. God bless.

Oh my gosh, Dawn. I'm so sorry you have a house full of sick kids! My kids are just starting to come down with it now too. However, our doctors here in central PA are not even seeing kids with flu symptoms and are not prescribing the anti-viral medicines. They won't even do the test for H1N1. I was told there is no point in testing them since they aren't going to do anything anyway. They said they are concerned about an anti-viral resistant strain of the flu developing. That makes sense, but when you are a mother and your kids are all sick and no one will give you any medicine for it...well it's frustrating to say the least! Well, hang in there Dawn. I know it's horrible right now, but just remember you are not alone. Julie in PA

Dawn, I know it's late but check out some research on the impact of taking (liquid) Vitamin D. My chiro recommended to me (and yes, I know how feel on chiropractor's in general). But interesting info on Vitamin D and keeping both the flu at bay and getting back to health once you've gotten it. I hope everyone's feeling better soon!